Apparently 15,000 people who might have been expected to apply in 2012 did not, leading the Independent Commission to talk of “missing” applicants.

And has this trend in decreasing applicants also occurred in Scotland and Wales, where the fees weren’t increased? Nope. While the total number of applicants in England fell by 8.8% in 2012 (the first year the fees came into effect), the figures from Scotland and Wales both show a slight increase in applications.

Coincidence? We think not. It seems the prospect of paying £9,000 a year has put a few people off after all. While it could be argued that the falling number of young people in the population could be playing a part in application figures, the report says it is only partly to explain for the drop.

Chair of the Commission, Will Hutton, says that the study provides initial evidence that greater fees do have an impact on application behaviour, but that it’s still too early to draw firm conclusions. “There is a clear drop in application numbers from English students when compared to their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,” he said.

On the plus side, he also noted that there has been no relative drop-off in applicants from less advantaged neighbourhoods.

NUS President Liam Burns responded to the report by expressing concerns over the impact the new tuition fee levels could be having on students.

“After next week's A-level results, the clearing process will commence, and we remain concerned that applicants, particularly those from certain backgrounds, may not be in a position to choose whether and where to study based on the right course and university for them,” he said.

He also remarked, “We have always said it would be a tragedy if any young person were put off applying to or going to university because of financial concerns.”

The report published by the Independent Commission is the first in a series of reports being produced over the next three years, so only time will tell how the number of applications has been affected by increased fees in the long term.